InterVarsity World Changers

After discovering her passion for fighting human trafficking at Urbana 06, Natasha Paradeshi was confident she knew exactly where God was leading. The path seemed obvious: become a lawyer, move to India, and work with International Justice Mission. But that wasn't the path God had in mind. She struggled with the LSAT and her dream job with IJM never materialized. What followed was an unexpected jo...

"You've been bewitched!"  Priyanka Patel's relationship with her family changed forever in a single conversation. As she stood in the parking lot explaining that she'd become a Christian, Priyanka understood what singular devotion to Jesus might cost as a child from a devout Hindu family. But was he worth it? Thankfully, the community she'd developed through OneWay, InterVarsity's South Asian chap...

In 2015, Cal Berkeley Alumna, Amy Lee, co-founded Jubilee Immigration Advocates to provide legal representation for immigrants and their families in San Francisco. Her work with Jubilee is deeply rooted in the invitation she received from the Lord at the end of her summer with InterVarsity's Oakland Urban Project: "Surrender your pursuit of the American dream and dedicate your life to serving thos...

What does "investing in eternity" look like?  For Michael Lopez, two pivotal moments began shaping the way he would answers that question for the rest of his life. The first, a high school economics course that shifted his college trajectory from Caltech to Harvard. The second, the day he met InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Not only did Michael have a growing fascination in the science of resou...

On February 1, 2026, InterVarsity Alumnus Philip Sheegog stood alongside his creative partner and bandmate, Jonathan Miron, and gave his acceptance speech in front of a crowded theater. Their string duo, Arkai, had just won the Grammy for 2025's Best Contemporary Instrumental Album; a crowning achievement for any musician. And as he continues to hold his calling with open hands, this Grammy win an...

Clarity can be elusive. Sometimes next steps are hard to discern. That's why the ability to coach others through the complexities of life and ministry has been such an important skillset for InterVarsity Alumnus, Buck Rogers. Whether its with a church, a ministry team, or a ministry leader, Buck's vision to help them take next steps starts with clarifying what's most important in life and ministry...

From campus, to the marketplace, to Mongolia, and back again, Tom Lin has partnered with God’s world-changing work for more than 30 years. But even as the context changed, the calling remained the same: to love and serve students and faculty on every corner of every campus. For the last 10 years, that calling has been carried out as President of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. And Tom has uniqu...

It was a $300 gift from a family member that made it possible for Chiquita Jackson to pay her new student fee. That $300 gift also made her the first person from her family to attend college. While on campus, her life was transformed by Jesus through the loving and supportive community of her InterVarsity chapter and she graduated with a desire to instill others with hope. These foundational exper...

Influenced by years of Christian community and Bible study on campus, InterVarsity alumnus and co-founder of Alabaster, Brian Chung, has a powerful vision for his work: "for all of humanity to experience God as beautiful." In 2016, Brian and Alabaster set out to accomplish this vision through the pairing of God's Word with stunning artwork. From Genesis to Revelation; from the Psalms to the Gospel...

InterVarsity alumna Dr. Janelle Goodwill is committed to hope; not just as a virtue, but as a fundamental component of human thriving. In her research at the University of Chicago, Dr. Goodwill is pursuing a deeper understanding of hope, joy, and meaning and their impact on suicide prevention. In particular, she is piloting interventions in local schools to educate and support young Black students...

On this episode of InterVarsity World Changers, we're joined by Troy Anderson, founder and International Director of Speak Up for the Poor. And Troy and his colleagues are changing the world as they work among impoverished communities in Bangladesh. Their mission: to offer quality education and safe housing to young girls in an effort to keep them out of child marriages and sex trafficking, and to...

InterVarsity Alumna Jessie Thomas had no idea that her love for food and hospitality would open so many doors: personal chef, cooking on local television, hanging out with Cookie Monster (to name a few). But nothing compared to her experience as a crew member on the Food Network's reality cooking series Chopped . During their marathon recording sessions each day, Jessie got to work alongside hurt...

As a student with InterVarsity, "Harvest" (name changed for our guest's safety) knew she was called to overseas missions work. Twenty years later, "Harvest" found herself carrying out creative underground ministry strategies during an unprecedented season: COVID lockdown in China. Along with her community, "Harvest" developed a unique approach to digital ministry that provided spiritual food to a...

In April of 2025, at an all-Greek gathering, Kristen Dalton watched more than 100 Indiana University sorority and fraternity students say "Yes!' to an invitation to follow Jesus. In this episode of InterVarsity World Changers, we chat with Kristen about this amazing moment along with the larger work of revival and renewal that God has been doing in the Greek system at IU. And we trace the story ba...

From South Dakota to Urbana to the world and the workplace. That's what partnering with God in his world-changing work looks like for InterVarsity Alumni Mac Pier and Roy Tinklenberg. After becoming friends through InterVarsity at the University of South Dakota, Mac and Roy's vision for God's Kingdom was forever transformed at Urbana '79 by speakers like Elisabeth Elliot, John Stott, and Billy Gra...

On this episode of InterVarsity World Changers, we’re talking with Ann Hall. Ann is a Drake University alumna and a Physician Assistant in cardiac and vascular surgery in Omaha, Nebraska. She’s caring for people inside and outside of the operating room who find themselves in very serious medical situations. And whether it’s praying for (and experiencing) miracles in the middle of surgery or delive...

Jon realizes a dream today: Eating a really big cookie with Andy Mineo. Watch on YouTube for the full experience. Link HERE . Enjoy some behind the scenes footage HERE . RELATED EPISODE E20: Andy Mineo: Using Influence, Inspiration, and Imperfection to Make Something New ( YouTube , Spotify , Apple ) STAY IN TOUCH WITH INTERVARSITY WORLD CHANGERS Socials: @ivworldchangerspod Subscribe, rate, &...

On this episode of InterVarsity World Changers, we sit down with City College of New York alumnus, Andy Mineo! Andy is changing the world as a talented artist, musician, and entrepreneur. He’s thoughtfully navigating the modern music industry while engaging others artists and the broader culture as a follower of Jesus. Enjoy Andy's story! STAY IN TOUCH WITH ANDY Red Room (Freestyle) Music Video We...

On this episode of InterVarsity World Changers, we’re talking with Will Scheopner, a University of Nebraska Omaha alumnus. And Will is changing the world one student at a time in UNO’s College of Business. As a Career Advisor, Will is dispensing hope, encouragement, and life direction to hundreds of students each semester as they discern their calling in the world of business. Enjoy Will's story!...

On this episode, we’re talking with Shang Saavedra of Save My Cents, an alumna from Harvard and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. And Shang is changing the world through her expertise in the interaction of mental and financial health. We’re going to hear more about her personal financial journey, the way she’s helping others pursue financial health, and about her new book: Wealth...

On this episode, we're chatting with Sarah Shin and Shin Maeng, creators of The Deliverer Has Come. Enjoy the origin story of their creative collaborations and how those early moments led to a beautiful children's book that is pointing people of all ages to Jesus. Purchase Your Copy of The Deliverer Has Come HERE PRAY FOR: Sarah to continue to having opportunities to write and teach theology that...

During a class trip to the Republic of Türkiye during her Junior year of college, Tatiana Ordoñez had a life-changing encounter: an introduction to NGOs dedicated to preserving culture by empowering local artisans. After graduation and a few strategic internships, Tatiana returned to her home in Colombia and started Zuahaza; a social enterprise built on ethical business practices, authentic Colomb...

“It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known…” (Rom. 15:20) What is your ambition? Where has God given you spiritual influence? What does it look like to faithfully follow Jesus in that context? Whether you have a clear vision for these things, or still need help discerning them, there’s a resource to help you. The Ambition conference is a carefully crafted spiri...

In 2019, Christine and her husband received amazing news: she was pregnant with their third child. However, the joy of this news was blunted by another diagnosis received just five days earlier... Christine had breast cancer. On this episode of InterVarsity World Changers, Christine Boye (Northwestern University Alumna) shares about carrying her third child while battling cancer and about being ca...

On this episode of InterVarsity World Changers, we're chatting with Clark University alumna, Magdalene Kwakye. And Maggie is changing the world with Jesus as a clinical social worker. While she describes herself as shy and reserved, those traits don't hold her back from lending a strong, compassionate voice as an advocate for children and adolescents in a school setting. PRAY FOR MAGGIE To be cour...